


Baby.

by jpegcalum



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: F/M, Luke hemmings/reader - Freeform, Single Parent AU, Single Parents, single parent Luke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2015-11-22
Packaged: 2018-04-27 00:41:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5027044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jpegcalum/pseuds/jpegcalum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one where you're part of the stage crew, and you end up babysitting Luke's daughter, Emma.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Catch

Did Luke plan on being nineteen and a single father? No.   
Did he plan on being a rock star, dragging his poor three year old daughter around the world with him? Definitely not.   
But Emma seemed to like it. 

With the band now in England, 5 Seconds of Summer fans basically revolved around Emma and Luke, obsessed with how adorable the young man was with her, carrying her through airports, and having her on stage for sound check.   
One matter of discussion, though, among the fans, was the lack of female influence in the girl's life. Not that Luke didn't do a good job with her. She was polite and bright as a flame, and cute as anything, bearing her father's looks. Her eyes were as blue as the sky, and her golden curls were always styled well, and she always wore matching clothes. Unless she was wearing a princess dress and rainboots. Luke chose his battles, and telling her to put on a tee shirt and jeans was not a battle he was going to fight. 

Emma often found herself with some members of the staff during rehearsals, and she didn't mind at all. She didn't have a permanent nanny, but she had some of the techies wrapped around her finger.   
You, especially.   
You'd been hired at the beginning of the tour, and you did most of the wiring for microphones. Which meant that you were often up close and personal with the boys, but you'd never had a real conversation with them.   
It was Emma that started up the relationship between you and them, by way of nearly breaking her legs. 

It was normal for the boys to be messing around while checking out a venue, and today, it was Michael, Luke, and Emma who were goofing off as you wound up extension cords at the far end of the stage. You loved how happy the child got when she was on the stage, the music playing from her father's phone hooked up to the speakers for a dance party. She was hopping around, wiggling her rump and stomping her feet to a Halsey song, and you were rocking your head in time as you watched.   
It was calm, for a time. You finish with the first heavy cord before moving to walk across the stage, sidestepping to avoid being taken out first by Michael's swinging arms, then by the twirling toddler. You jump back, laughing quietly as you kneel down beside one of the stools center stage, checking the heavy wires. You don't mind them. They're not intentionally inhibiting your ability to work, and you like them. You glance up at Luke, who's standing nearly off stage, watching. He looks exhausted, and you wonder if Emma has had him up with all the energy.   
You stand up, humming and moving your hips discreetly as you begin to lay the cable across the stage, about six inches from the edge. It's thick and heavy, and you've tripped over it many times, but it's not you you're worried about this time. Setting down the heavy coil and turning around, your mouth open to warn Emma about the cords, you see her twirling straight for the edge, and you don't even think about it. You sprint, catching her just as her little sneaker went into the open air off the stage, but she's in your arms, and you're clutching her tightly. 

"Emma!" You hear the shout coming back from two voices, and you slowly look up, getting to your feet with the girl still in your arms. Luke nearly rips her away from you, and you stumble back as they both inspect the now sobbing girl.   
You know they're concerned about her, but... didn't they see she could have died if she'd fallen? You wince as you feel the toll that the impact with the hard wood of the stage has taken on your knees. 

"You caught her." 

You look up suddenly, meeting Luke's startling eyes, and nodding slowly. 

"Yeah... I guess I did. I didn't mean to hurt her, I swear, I just-" You say, still afraid that he's going to direct his anger at you. But he doesn't shout. He just smiles, looking quite amazed. 

"That was crazy!" Michael is actually laughing, and you give a sheepish smile, your eyes going to Emma. She's sniffling, her head resting on Luke's chest, but she doesn't look hurt. 

"Thank you, that... I wasn't even watching. I... wow." He mumbles, and you shake your head. 

"I wasn't gonna let her fall. She's too pretty to be covered in bruises, aren't you?" You step forward, gently rubbing her back, and she looks at you, giving a tiny little smile. 

"What's your name?" You look up as Michael addresses you, and you nearly forget your own name, your heart still pounding. 

"U-Uh, (Y/n). I'm on the stage crew." You mumble, as if it's not obvious. 

"Really? The why don't you ever hang out with us?" Luke speaks this time, and you look back to him with a small shrug. 

"I guess I just..." You shrug sheepishly.   
"I do your microphones, so that's kind of hanging out, right?" You joke, and Michael shakes his head. 

"No way. You're like... the youngest person on the tech team, aren't you?" Luke asks, and you shrug. Probably. He opens his mouth to speak again, but suddenly, Calum and Ashton are storming onto the stage, belting the lyrics to the Fall Out Boy song that's playing, and you smile lightly before turning and quickly returning to your work. 

"Hey, we're going drinking tonight!" Calum shouts, and you try to keep your eyes on the cable, but you can't help but glance up. 

"I can't, I don't have anyone to look after Emma." Luke says, and he looks genuinely disappointed. An idea slips into your head, and you suck in a deep breath. 

"Uh... I'll take her, if you want." You say, your voice raised just enough to be heard over the music, and Luke turns to you, a bright smile on his lips. 

"Really? You'd do that?" He asks, and you nod. 

"She's wonderful. Why wouldn't I?" You reply, smiling slightly. He glances at the boys, who are encouraging him to accept, and he slowly nods. Emma grins, raising her hands and nearly punching him in the face. 

"Yay! Babysitter!"


	2. The Gig

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Don't forget to leave feedback! Let me know how I'm doing!

You arrive to Luke and Emma's hotel room a quarter after six, as he requested. You're wearing jeans and a tee shirt, but you'd spent a while trying to perfect your look, not wanting to come off as too relaxed. After all, he was still your boss, even if you were the same age as him. That was an odd thought. 

Knocking on the door lightly, you hear a sudden commotion, and step back, expecting something to come flying out at you. As the door opens, you realize that it's a good thing you braced yourself, since a little blonde haired monster flew at you, squealing in joy and knocking you backwards just as the door on the opposite side of the hall opened, and you fell right into Ashton.   
You both yelped, but he caught you, pushing upright again. 

"Emma, I swear-" You look up from the child clinging to your legs, meeting Luke's eyes. He looks embarrassed, and you give a small smile, picking the child up and situating her on your hip. You hear Ash sniggering behind you, Emma giggling along with him, but you brush it off. 

"It's alright, she's just excited. Maybe I can think of a way to get her energy out, yeah?" You suggest, and Luke motioned to Emma. 

"I've tried most of it- She never slows down. She's awake until midnight most nights, I... I'm not sure what else to do." The blond admits shyly, and you cock your head, smiling sympathetically. 

"Don't worry. I'll figure it out." You promise, and he just stares for a moment before nodding, a smile drifting over his lips. Has he always been so pretty? No, bad. You're doing him a favor, not checking him out.

"Thanks... Really, this means a lot to me. There's pizza on the counter and movies on the iPad-" He starts to ramble like a nervous parent, but you cut him off. 

"Mr. Hemmings, I can figure it out. I'm not entirely sure what your friend is doing behind my back, but you should probably take him away before he starts being a bad influence on Emma." You smile, and he stops, his mouth still open. 

"Uh.... Right, yeah. Sorry, I just... I don't want you to think I'm a bad parent or anything. And... you know you can call me Luke, right? I'd rather you did." He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck before planting a kiss on his daughter's head. 

"I would never think that. I think you're one of the best parents out there. You're making the best out of a sh- A bad situation." You blush and he laughs, shaking his head. 

"Well, I mean, yeah, but still. Thanks again." He says, giving you a genuine, happy grin, and you swear your heart melts.

"It's my pleasure, really. Now go, before you change your mind and stay with us instead." You move around him into the hotel room, catching Ashton in the middle of a funny face, and you smirk, sticking out your tongue at him. He mimics you before grabbing Luke by the hand and pulling him down the hall. 

"Bye, Emma! Love you!" He shouted, and the girl waved, and as soon as you closed the door, she wiggled free and got down, hurrying into the small kitchen area. 

"Where ya goin'?" You ask, slipping your sneakers off and following. You notice the room, the messy bed and the clothes and toys strewn about. You laugh quietly, thinking of just how fitting it was that for a teenaged boy and a toddler. 

"Gettin' pizza." The girl replies, getting reaching up onto the counter, swiping at the box, and you follow, picking it up and motioning for her to follow. 

"Here, how about this. We'll have a picnic and watch a movie. Is that okay?" You ask, and Emma gasps, nodding quickly with bright eyes. You smile, placing the box on the bed and straightening the covers a bit before going to the closet, fetching the scratchy blanket that, seemingly, all hotels stashed there. Was that normal? 

You spread it out on the bed before scooping Emma up and plopping her down, opening the box and handing her a slice. 

You go to warn her about the temperature, but she beats you to it. 

"Careful, (Y/n). Hot." She waved a finger, and you nod, going to get napkins. 

"Little bites, alright? No choking on my watch." You warn, and she gives a little 'mhm'. You hear the tv turn on, the channels changing until it settles on a children's show. You head back to the bed, setting the napkins down as you watch a cat solve number puzzles. Emma mumbles an answer around her pizza occasionally, and you're still trying to get comfortable when you sit on a lumpy spot. Reaching under the blanket, you find that it's one of Luke's red flannel shirts. You fold it quickly, setting it on the side table quickly be for reaching for a piece of pizza and trying to not think about the way it smelled just like him, and it was sweet and warm and comforting, and how you could be wrapped in that forever. 

Emma looks up at you, wiggling her sauce covered fingers at you. 

"Don't you dare." You look down at your white shirt, and she squeals, lunging at you. You drop your pizza in an attempt to stop her, but it's too late. She's gone and wiped her hands all over you. Seriously? Was there really that much sauce on one piece of pizza?

"Emma!" You cry out, and she giggles madly.   
"That's it. Come on. Bath time." Standing abruptly, you tuck the child under your arm, carrying her to the bathroom. She squealed and struggled, actually letting out a furious scream, clawing at your arm. You don't relent, though, and you shut the bathroom door, starting the water. She continued to scream, but held still as you pulled her messy clothes off, still wailing as you set her in the lukewarm water. There are a few bath toys on the edge, and you smile, trying to cheer Emma up with a squeaky rubber duck.  
She still whines a bit, but after a while, she begins to splash a bit. 

"Can you do the bubbles? Daddy does them and he makes them like a hat on my head!" She smiled, leaning over the side and pointing at the bottle of pink bubble bath on the floor. You nod, pouring in just a bit. Immediately, the tons of soapy nearly cover a squealing Emma, and you are happy to play along, hoping to tire her out. At one point, she gets excited, splashing and bouncing happily, effectively soaking your tee shirt. 

"Oops!" Emma looks genuinely concerned, but you only sigh, knowing that you're going to look like a mess anyways. You're terribly embarrassed by it, but now, you realize that your bra is very visible. You groan, but you don't scold her. She was only having fun.

After bath time, you get Emma all dressed in a nightgown, drying her hair and putting it into a 'princess bun', as she'd called it. 

"Your shirt is messy, you should change it." She says when you finish the braided bun, and you look down at yourself. You smirk, helping her down from the chair. 

"I don't have another shirt, so I'm stuck in this one. You're a mess monkey, you know that?" You tickle her tummy playfully, making her squeal and scurry away from you and leap onto the bed. Her eyes fall on the shirt on the end table, and she grabs it, holding it out to you.   
"Here! This one!" She exclaims, and you shake your head. 

"That's your daddy's, Emma, I can't wear it." You explain, sitting down beside her. A deep frown spreads over her face and she sticks out her lip. Wow... she must have learned that puppy dog face from Calum, because it's so strong and it's melting your heart. 

"Fine." You mumble, turning your back and taking the shirt from her and stripping your own off. You slip Luke's on, buttoning it and shamelessly allowing yourself to inhale his sweet scent. You sigh, leaning back against pillows as Emma crawls into your lap, burying her face in your chest.

"You smell like daddy." She mumbled, and you smile a bit, rubbing her back. You check your phone, surprised when you see that it's only nine thirty, and that the girl is falling asleep on you. You make yourself comfortable, cuddling up against her as you turn the tv down, and close your eyes. 

 

You wake to a gentle hand shaking you, and your first instinct is to swat at it, curling up tighter.

"(Y/n), wake up..." You hear the soft whisper, and you jump, your eyes flying open as you sit up, meeting Luke's eyes in the dim light from the small lamp on the side table. You blush as you disentangle yourself from Emma, who doesn't stir, but Luke just gives you a smile. 

"It went good, then?" He asked, motioning to the sleeping child, and you nod, standing up and smoothing your- his, shirt. 

"Uh... yeah, it did. She was really good, just a little messy. She kind of soaked my shirt during bath time, but she was a dream." You glance back, giving a fond smile. The man gives a relieved sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm really glad she didn't kill you. She's a handful." Luke said, and you nod, picking up your damp shirt from the ground. 

"I'll give you your shirt back." You mumble, a bit awkwardly, but as you move to change, but he takes your wrist.

"No, don't. It looks really good on you." He says, and you wonder briefly if he's tipsy. His eyes seem only mildly clouded, but the smile, the one Emma inherited, is genuine. 

"I... I'll give it back tomorrow then." You reply, and he snorts. You roll your eyes, beginning to walk towards the door. 

"D'you want me to walk you to your room?" He asks, and you shake your head, thankful that you're staying in the same hotel room. 

"It's alright; I probably won't get lost." You tease, and he laughs awkwardly, swallowing hard. He looks as though he wants to say something else, the way he's gnawing on his lip. You wonder what it would be like to kiss him, to feel the metal against your own lips, but you shake that away. 

"I'll see you tomorrow morning, yeah?" You ask, and he nods. 

"Tomorrow. Thanks again, (Y/n). This... it meant a lot to me. I'll see you." He smiles so sweetly that your heart skips a beat, and you nod, nearly tripping over your own feet as you hurry down the hall before you embarrass yourself any more.


	3. The Chase

The next morning, you're rushing to make it to the stadium before six, and you look awful. You're absolutely exhausted when you get there, barely awake, and you're immediately put to work, checking sound cables and setting up instruments. For hours you work, until your arms are sore and you're sick of arguing with the stupid techs who tell you you're doing your job wrong. You're not, but with a passive aggressive apology and a few steps back, you don't make any trouble.  
Backstage in a dark corner, you're taking a break. It's a little after noon, and the show is at four, so the boys ought to be showing up soon. You wish you were a personal assistant, so that could hang around with them. For Emma, of course. Soon, you've sat yourself on the floor, your head tilted back and your eyes shut comfortably.  
You're sure you would have fallen asleep, if your mind wasn't on a certain pair of blonds.   
You're stuck on the way those blue eyes looked, sleepy and cute. You wouldn't mind waking up next to Luke in the mornings, his arms wrapped around you, his lips pressing chaste kisses to yours, Emma curled between both of you, calling you mama. The thought made your heart swell, but at the same time, you felt a stab of confusion.  
Luke wasn't some toy that you could just lay claim to. He was a person. 

A very kind, very attractive person.

Dammit, there you go again. 

You're just thinking about how nice it would be to be wanted, and to make Luke feel wanted, and to fix Emma's hair and teach her all the important things...  
You're on the very verge of sleep, but a sudden squeal and a weight dropping on your stomach makes you yell out and jerk upright, your eyes flying open to see-

"Emma!" You gasp, looking around to see if someone was following her. You frown, noticing no one is, but you meet her pretty blue eyes. 

"(Y/n)!" She giggled, wiggling up your belly and wrapping her arms around your neck. You smile lightly, hugging her back and carefully getting to your feet. 

"Hey, little one. Where's everyone else, huh?" You ask, your arms around her tightly. She giggled, shaking her head. 

"Hiding!" She grinned, and you cock your head. 

"Are you hiding, or are they?" You ask, rubbing her back as you begin to walk into the back hallway, toward the dressing room.

"I'm hiding! Uncle Ashton is lookin'." She glanced around, and you nod, understanding the predicament. 

"Well, we have to be careful then, very quiet." You whisper, setting her down. It's then you notice that she's not wearing any shoes, just white ruffly socks with her black sundress, decorated with little skulls. She could slip and fall on the linoleum, but you shrug it off. You've caught her once, haven't you?

You've taken her hand, sneaking down the surprisingly quiet hallway, hoping to stay hidden. It's a fun game, reminding you of when you were a child. 

Emma seems to know exactly where she's going, sneaking and low, and you follow, tugging your black polo over your hip, down from where it's ridden up. 

"Where are we going, Emmy?" You ask, and she's just turned to answer when her eyes fall on something behind you, and she squeals, spinning on her heel and flying away, slipping and sliding in her socks. You turn to look behind, only having a second to let out a cry of your own before you're being grabbed up in muscular arms and slung over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes.   
"Ashton! Ashton Irwin, put me down!" You squeak, trying to wriggle away, but his grip around your thighs tightens.

"Nope. You were working with the evil Princess Emma, you're a traitor to the kingdom! For all we know, you could be working for the monstrous King Luke! " He exclaims, in an exaggerated Scottish accent. You roll your eyes, letting him carry you around, as part of the game. 

"Where are you?! Come out, little princess! I've got your little friend here!" He called as he walked into the dressing room, where Calum and Michael sat on one couch, scrolling through their phones, and Luke sat on the other, staring innocently up at Ashton. You couldn't see this, of course, until he turned a full circle, looking around the room. You give a wave to Luke, and he smiles sheepishly, pointing to the couch the the two boys are sitting on, and you frown, not seeing anything unusual about it, until you spy the little socked feet poking out from underneath it. You tap Ashton on the back, pointing, and he glances over, seeming to understand.   
"Oh, little princess! I think I see you..." He chuckles, carrying you over to Luke, shifting you off of his shoulder, and right into the younger boy's lap, ungracefully and unceremoniously before scurrying over to the other couch. You squeak, and Luke groans, nearly dropping you, but he grabs you by the waist, and you wrap your arms around his neck, even though the fall to the floor is barely two feet.   
Looking up, you meet those crystalline eyes, and you bite your lip, blushing.   
"Hi." Luke says finally, after what seems like forever. 

"Uh... hey." You reply, a little smile tracing your features. His eyes flicker to your lips, and he leans in a miniscule amount, looking as though he might kiss you, when-

"Aha!" The triumphant shout makes everyone jump, as does the shrill squeal that follows. 

"I got ya! All thanks to that dastardly traitor, (Y/n)!" Ashton turns around, clutching a squirming Emma. His eyes fall on you and Luke, and he pauses, looking a bit thoughtful, like he might make some excuse for everyone to leave the room, so you and Luke to be alone. 

Wishful thinking. 

"Emma, punish the traitors!" He shouts, carrying her to you and dropping her directly onto your lap, making you wheeze. 

"What even?!" Luke groans, now holding you and his daughter. That's a lot for one lap to take, and you quickly get up, blushing sheepishly. 

"Uh... S-soundcheck is in an hour, guys, so... yeah." You mumble, a bit embarrassed as you begin to move to the door. Ashton has already moved to see what Calum and Mikey are giggling about, and Luke looks up at you with big puppy dog eyes. 

"I... I'll see you later." You mumble shyly, waving and hoping that you aren't blushing as much as he is. Emma is playing with his hair, thoroughly distracted as he watches you go, wishing he'd said or did something.


	4. The Park

"Emma, stay away from the edge!" You call, watching the little girl hop on the sidewalk, dragging a stick along the wrought iron gates that separated the immaculate lawns from the walkway.   
Another car roared past, and you sigh, but a light hand on your shoulder makes you glance up.   
Luke shakes his head at you, passing by and scooping his daughter up and placing her on his shoulders. 

"The road is busy, I just didn't want her falling." You defend yourself, earning an eye roll from the singer. 

"She's a kid... I get that you're all about keeping her safe- Don't get me wrong, I am too. But she's a kid." He nudged your hip lightly, and you blush, looking down. 

"Hey, will you two love birds tell us why we're out here at the ass crack of dawn?" Michael grumped from not far behind, his hood up to block out the sunlight. Calum was playing on his phone just behind, Ashton taking up the rear.

You don't answer; you're not any closer to Luke than you were three weeks ago, when you'd been dropped into his lap. 

"We're going to the park!" Emma cried out, turning to look at her uncle, who managed a somewhat convincing smile.

"Daddy, Uncle Mikey looks grumpy." The little blonde leaned down, and you chuckle softly. This drew Emma's attention, making her grin. 

"(Y/n), you make daddy smile lots, you should try it on Uncle Mikey!"   
You blush darker, lowering your head as the boys burst out laughing. You pull up your own hood content to hide in your shell, until you feel a slight touch on the back of your hand, then fingers lacing with your own.   
A chorus of 'ooo's rose up, and you glance up at the blue eyes that held only kindness and sympathy for you.

"Nah, Emma. Your dad gets (Y/n) all for himself." Michael chuckled, and the girl smiled brightly, looking down at you. 

"See? You do make people happy. Like magic!" She wiggled her short fingers and giggled. Ashton and Calum both snorted, mumbling and laughing quietly. You can only imagine the foul jokes they're making about you, and you bite your lip. 

They probably thought you'd been sleeping around, using Emma to get to Luke like some pathetic fangirl. It made you cringe and look down at your sneakers, just the thought of it. You didn't think that way.   
You didn't want to use Luke. You wanted to love him. You wanted to wipe away the sadness and shadows of fatigue beneath his eyes. You wanted to card your fingers through his hair, to kiss his cheek when he looks like he's so close to breaking, to hold him together.   
You want to hold Emma, to raise her, knowing more than just men in her life.   
You want her to call you her mother. 

Everything had gone silent as you walked, your hand held loosely in Luke's as you keep your eyes ahead on the busy city streets, keeping close to avoid being run into by the crowds. The sun was trying hard to break through the smog, and you wonder how long you'll have to muddle through the concrete jungle before you finally reach the children's park that's supposedly in the middle of the shopping district, when Emma suddenly gives a cry of joy from her father's shoulders. 

"I can see it!" She squealed, and you roll your eyes. 

"Of course you can, you're riding a giraffe!" You giggle, looking up at her with a fond smile. Luke smirked, squeezing your hand as he looked up at Emma, when Calum spoke up. 

"You'd like to be riding that giraffe, (Y/n)." He says, and you feel your cheeks begin to burn. 

"I... I'm not trying to...." You stammer as the boys laugh, and you bite down hard on your lip, turning your gaze back to the sidewalk, hoping they don't see the raging blush. You feel the little nudge at your shoulder, but you ignore it, keeping silent until you finally reach the playground.   
Calum and Emma immediately race to the swing set, Ashton and Michael breaking off to find a coffee shop, leaving- Surprise- you and Luke alone.   
You find a place in the grass, shrugging off your jacket to sit on it, not daring to meet Luke's eyes, even as he sits beside you.  
You lay back on the soft, feathery grass, staring up at the sky with your hands on your belly. The clouds scud through the sweet, summery blue, and it's calming, easing your stress slightly. 

"You know they don't mean anything by it, right?" Luke murmured softly from beside you, and you glance at him. He's sitting up, watching as Emma attempted to push Calum on the swing. The dark haired boy had his feet planted firmly on the mulch covered ground, and Emma was pushing with all of her might. You sit upright to watch, picking at your shirt. 

"I know, I guess I'm a little... paranoid?" You mumbled, and Luke turned to you, frowning. 

"About what?" He asked, and you sigh. There's no time like the present to speak your mind... 

"That you think I'm just trying to get into your pants. Or that I'm using you." You mumble, turning to meet his blue eyes, filled with confusion.   
To think it'd only been three weeks since you'd caught Emma, preventing her from hurting herself. 

"(Y/n), I don't think that at all. I just... I know this is a professional relationship. You're my tech, and you watch Emma sometimes, and sometimes I wish I was brave enough to say anything to you..." He trailed off as you suck in a deep breath. 

"I love Emma, Luke. I'd do anything for her. You... You're a bonus." You mumble sheepishly, and look down at your lap, tugging at a thread on your jeans. 

It's quiet for a while, and you think that maybe you've said the wrong thing. But when you look up again, you see that he's gone back to watching Cal and Emma. The older boy is standing at the bottom of a large slide, coaxing the child to slide down and into his arms. 

"They treat you like they treated her." Luke mumbles finally, and you glance up, unsure of just what he meant. 

"The boys. They treat you how they treated Emma's mother, Abigail."

"Oh." You whisper, your chest tight. 

"It's not a bad thing... They like you. I do too. I just... miss her. I mean, she was amazing. She was so happy about Emma, and then... It was just... so sudden. The doctor couldn't even explain what happened." He swallowed hard, wiping his eyes. You feel tears welling up in your own eyes, and you bite your lip, but place your hand on Luke's, telling him that you were there. 

He looked down at the grass, and you wonder if he's ever told anyone about Abigail, besides the boys. 

"W-we were young and stupid, and she was sick. We were only sixteen, and she wanted a baby so bad. But... Abigail didn't make it. I promised her I'd take care of Emma, and sometimes... I just...." He let out a choked noise, and you can tell just how embarrassed he is. But tears are spilling from his crystal eyes, and your heart shatters. You're up on your knees in a moment, arms around him as he presses his face into your shoulder, trying to calm himself.   
You're in his lap, and it should have been awkward, but all you felt was love and patience, wanting him to let go a bit, to calm himself. You can tell: This has been on his young shoulders for far too long. 

"It's okay, Luke. Everything is gonna be alright. I promise. I'm gonna help. I'll fix it." You whisper, stroking his hair. His arms are tight around you, and you sigh softly. This is good for him, and you've been seeing his facade crack in the passing days. He deserves to let out a little sadness. 

"(Y/n)?" You hear your name quietly called, and you look up to see Michael and Ashton, holding drink holders with coffee cups situated in them, so they wouldn't drop them.   
You sigh as Luke pulls away, wiping his eyes quickly as you climb off his lap. 

"Leave her alone, Mikey. She was helping." He the blond mumbled, and you smooth your shirt down. The boys don't question it, and Michael hands you your coffee with a small, friendly smile as they sit down beside you. Calum and Emma were racing back to you all, the bassist tripping and managing a spectacular somersault into the grass that makes you laugh so hard that you snort, earning several teasing remarks from the others. You feel like one of them, sitting there with them, completely unrelated to work and more like a family.   
Emma chugged her hot chocolate, and soon after, went back to playing, dragging Ashton with her this time. 

You watch them fondly, noticing that, after about an hour, that Emma was growing sluggish, and you realize that she's falling asleep. 

Walking back to the hotel, Emma curled up on your chest, your arms holding her safe and secure against you, Luke keeps giving you sweet, gentle glances, his shoulder bumping yours.   
It isn't until later, when he's walked you to your hotel room, that he leans forward, quite awkwardly and shyly, and presses a quick kiss to your lips and sprints off down the hall, leaving you a blushing, giggling mess.


	5. The End

You'd fallen in love hard and fast, and Luke had caught you. It'd only been two weeks after the park that he'd asked you out.   
:::::

"Hey, (Y/n)?" A voice called to you, and you groan, assuming it's the stage manager coming to nag you about something that you forgot to do again, but you sigh, turning around. You're practically draped in wiring, a stinging glare on your features. It's about two in the morning, after a crazy show, and you're supposed to work until its all organized, then get in a plane to beat the bus to the next venue to set up faster.   
You didn't hate your job, but you didn't love it, either.

"Hello?" The voice comes again, and you look up, recognizing it. 

A smile lights up your features.   
"Back here, Luke!" You call. You're backstage, in a dark corner where they really didn't look for you. It wasn't great, but you got paid. 

The blond boy appeared a few moments later, looking exhausted, but adorable. A large hoodie (probably Michael's) hung off of his skinny form, and his hair was fluffy and loose, showing that he'd already showered. You hadn't yet, and you were sweaty and gross. You felt self conscious under his eyes, but he had a warm smile on his lips. 

"Hey." He said, and you smile, forgetting about the cords and cables hanging off your body. 

"Do you need a hand?" Luke motioned to your problem, and you glanced down, smiling sheepishly. 

"Yeah, if you could. I'm a bit like a mummy." You hold up your arms, and he laughed, stepping forward. 

"Alright, hold still." He started disentangling you, winding the cords carefully and setting them down beside you, until he got to the last few, the ones just wound around you. To those, he lifted, and climbed under, so that they were around both of you, and you were chest to chest.   
You look up, eyes wide as he rests his hands on your hips, and you blush. 

"Hey." He says nonchalantly, a smile on his stupid perfect lips. 

"Uh...Hi." You mumble, somewhat awkwardly. He laughs softly, and you can't help the soft giggle that leaves you as you wrap your arms around his neck. 

"Y'know, I'm pretty tangled up in you." The awful pickup line hangs heavy in the air for a few moments, and you groan, shaking your head. 

"Right there, that's where this stopped being romantic." You tease, and he blushes, looking down. Ge looks so pathetic, you can't bear to let him be so pitiful looking.   
So, you lean up and catch his lips in a kiss, an action that startled both of you.   
He tasted sweet, like mint and a hint of alcohol, and you're certain that you don't mimic that. You're sweaty and gross, but he isn't pulling away. The grip on your hips only tightened, and you were pulled closer.  
The velvet of his lips on yours, his hands on your body, it felt *natural*. 

Until he pulled away, his blue eyes trained on yours as you both struggle to get your breath back. 

"S-so, you wanna go get coffee sometime?" Luke speaks after a few moments, and you can't help but giggle before responding. 

"Yeah. Absolutely."

\--------

Five dates later, you're sitting in the studio with Emma, on the floor beside the soundbooth. You're both coloring, and you've doodled a pretty impressive dinosaur, if you do say so yourself.   
Emma has been shielding her drawing, the pink and blue crayons have been hoarded by her. Her hair is in a bun today and she's wearing a little black jersey, 'Team Hemmings' written across the front. Her shorts make it easier for her to run amok, and the vans on her feet may or may not have been a gift from you.   
She's perfect in every way, and you definitely consider her to be your daughter. 

"(Y/n)!" Your name makes you look up at Emma, who's on her feet now. She looks expectant, and you cock your head. 

"Huh?" You ask, and she giggles, stomping her feet at you. Rolling your eyes, you get up, scooping her up and snuggling her as she squealed.   
It's been hours in the studio, Luke's voice the soundtrack of your heart, and all things considered, Emma has been spectacularly well behaved. It was a little past lunch time, and you can see she's growing a bit cranky. You're content to snuggle her, though; The door of the sound booth opens, and there's a hand on your waist. The soft lips and cold metal against your neck make you smile and relax back against your boyfriend, and Em giggled, leaning forward to kiss her daddy's forehead.  
"My favorite girls." He sounds exhausted, and you reach back, wrapping an arm around his neck gently. 

"Our favorite guy, right, Emma?" You ask as Luke buries his face in your hair. 

"I like Uncle Mikey!" She replied, as the other boys are exiting the room with their instruments. The red head laughed, fist pumping while the others gave disappointed noises. 

"Aw, that's not nice. Fine, I get Lukey all to myself then." You lay claim, feeling his chest rumble with a laugh as he's pressed to your back. 

"No! Daddy!" Emma gasped, holding out her arms. He chuckles, taking her gently on his hip, his free hand in yours. 

"Aww, baby, it's okay. You and (Y/n) can share me, right?" He asks, and she nods vigorously. 

"I drew a picture for you, daddy! Look!" She points, and you bend down to grab the papers when you feel a pinch being delivered to your ass. You squeak, whirling to face your lover. 

"Its our family! See? There's you, and me, and Uncle Calum and Uncle Ashton and Uncle Mikey!" Snatching up the drawing, the child grins.

"What's that holding my hand?" Luke asked, looking over the art.

"It's (Y/n), daddy! She's in our family picture since she's my mommy. "  
\---

Only a few dates later, you're sitting with Luke on his couch, your legs across his lap as he struts his guitar quietly.   
You're in the small house in London, and Emma is asleep in her room- well, the room that you, her and Luke share, and the boys had gone out, leaving the two of you alone. 

"So... I figured out our song." The blond mumbled, and you look up from where you're toying with the hair at the nape of his neck. 

"Yeah?" You ask with a smile.   
"Is it one of yours?"

Luke snorts and shakes his head, moving his fingers to the correct cords on his guitar.   
"It would be better if I had a ukulele, but... Just listen." He mumbled, taking a deep breath before moving his fingers across the strings in a pretty strum. 

" I'm in trouble  
I'm an addict  
I'm addicted to this girl  
She's got my heart tied in a knot  
And my stomach in a whirl

But even worse  
I can't stop calling her  
She's all I want and more  
I mean damn  
What's not to adore?

I've been playing too much guitar  
I've been listening to jazz  
I called so many times  
I swear she's going mad  
And that cellular will be the death of us  
I swear, I swear

And oh  
O-oh, o-oh, o-ooh  
Oh

I'm running my mouth  
Just like I got her  
But I surely don't

Because she's so  
O-oh, o-oh, o-ooh  
Rock 'n roll  
And out of my league  
Is she out of my league?  
Let's hope not

I'm in trouble  
I'm so cliché  
See that word just wears me out  
Makes me feel like just another boy  
To laugh and joke about

But even worse  
I can't stop calling her  
I love to hear that voice  
And honestly  
I'm left with no choice

I've been playing too much guitar  
I've been listening to jazz  
I called so many times  
I swear she's going mad  
And that cellular will be the death of us  
I swear, I swear

And oh  
O-oh, o-oh, o-ooh  
Oh

I'm running my mouth  
Just like I got her  
But I surely don't

Because she's so  
O-oh, o-oh, o-ooh  
Rock 'n roll  
And out of my league  
Is she out of my league?  
Let's hope not..." He finishes, still looking down at the instrument he'd just used to express his feelings for you, and you swallow the lump in your throat. Wiping at your eyes, you lean forward your free hamd turning his head to face you be for you kiss him, sweet and delicate and loving. 

"I don't agree." You murmur as you pull away, and his blue eyes widen. 

"What?" Luke asks, his cheeks going a bit red with embarrassment. 

"Well, you said that you surely don't got me." You say softly, stroking his jaw with your thumb.   
"You do got me. Forever."   
\----

Post album release, things have become much more relaxing and domestic. It's sickening, but you don't think you've been happier in your whole life. 

It's a Sunday morning in autumn, and you've just woken up to the warm sun trickling through the blinds, and a body pressed against yours beneath the dark blue duvet. You're both pretty damn naked, but it's early enough that you dont have to worry about anyone barging in. 

"Mm." Luke presses his lips to the back of your shoulder and you giggle softly, turning to face him. 

"Hey." He greets you, and you reply with a small kiss to the corner of his lips. He's got that sweet, gravelly, sleepy voice that you adore, nearly making you melt.   
"Can we stay in bed all day? I just wanna lay here and kiss you, and cuddle you..." 

"Oh, I wish. But, my darling Lukey, we have to get up and be," You pause for effect, faking a shudder.   
"Adults." 

He groans, burying his face in your bare chest, making you laugh. He mumbles something unintelligible, and you roll your eyes. 

"I can't hear you when you talk into my boobs." You stroke his hair, and he pulls back. 

"Why can't the others just be adults? They can take care of Emma and we can just sleep all day." Luke whined, and you laugh softly, kissing his chin. 

"Alright, you're right. We can be sixteen year olds, being stupid asses together, and go to empty pools and smoke weed and make out and stuff." You reply, and he laughed, wrapping his arms around your waist. 

"And go to Good Charlotte concerts and be rebellious teens and make mistakes." He finishes, and you nod. 

"I love you. You know?" He asks, and you blush, nodding before kissing him delicately.   
"I love you too." You reply, cuddling up to him, tucking your face in the crook of his neck. 

"Mm... Hang on, do you smell something?" Luke looked up, just as the bedroom door flew open, Calum and Emma tumbling in. 

"Mikey and Ashton and Emma made breakfast!" Calum announced, and Emma climbed onto the bed, about to pull the blanket off of your bodies. Luke yelps, snatching it before you're too exposed, and Calum lets out a squeal of a laugh before grabbing Emma and rushing her out of the room. 

"Come down when you're decent!" He calls, and as he closes the door, you hear Emma ask-  
"Uncle Calum, why were they naked?" 

You realize you've been holding your breath, and let it out slowly in the form of an exasperated cry.   
Luke snorts, holding you closer. 

"Welcome to parenthood, babe." He chuckles, and you roll your eyes, hugging him tightly, thinking about how you will never, ever let your little family go, ever. 

"Luke?" You murmur after a few moments of silence. He looks down at you, a hint of worry in his sky blue eyes. 

"Yeah, baby?" He asks, running a hand over your hair. 

"I'm really, really happy. Like... I think I might die if I ever get separated from you and Em." 

He lets out a sigh of relief, pressing his lips to your forehead. 

"I guess we should probably get married at some point them, huh?" He chuckled, and you nod.

"Hey, why don't you two lovebirds move your asses! Emma's eating all the pancakes!" Comes the shout from downstairs, followed by a muffled- "No I'm not!" 

Your stomach grumbles, and you blush, clambering away from Luke and out of bed, grabbing a pair of your sweatpants, and one of his shirts. 

"Hey, where're you going?" He whined, watching you as he rolled from bed and onto the floor. 

"I'm going to get some pancakes before your daughter eats them all!" You say, watching as he pulls on his boxers from last night, without getting off the floor.

"Fine. Let's go." He muttered, getting up slowly, and you think that he might still be half asleep, until he swoops you up and off your feet, and carries you downstairs, only reinforcing that, yes.   
You're happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all, she wrote! Thank you guys so much for all the feedback and Kudos you've left me, and please, keep an eye out for new projects!


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